Railroad-switch.



PATENTED NOV..20, 1906.

R. E. MURPHY.

RAILROAD SWITCH;

APPLIOATION FILED DEC. 7. 1905.

siwenfoz Witnaoaeo M/ a4 ms mmms TERS co., WASHINGTON, D. :4

. ROY E. MURPHY, OF COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO.

RAILROAD-SWITCH- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 20, 1906.

Application filei December '7. 1905. Serial No. 290,725.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROY E. MURPHY, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Colorado Springs, in the county of El Paso and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Railroad-Switch, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in railroadswitches in which a movable tongue to the direct rail is made to close automatically by-the action of the flange of the carwheel pressing upon and actuating a compound lever which releases the movable tongue in the switch, and thus allows the switch to be closed by the action of a strong spring, so that the rail on the direct line of the railroad will be unbroken and will so re main until a car or train comes out of the siding or indirect track, and when a train or car comes out of the siding or indirect track upon the main or direct track the movable tongue is forced open and is so retained, by means of a latch, until some train or car again passes into the siding, when it is automatically closed again, leaving the direct track safe for the passage of trains, and said switch is further protected from clogging with snow, ice, or debris by means of open space below the switch and movable tongue provided by the rails being supported on the edge of several steel bars instead of on the ties. I attain these objects by means of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a top view of the switch closed for the passage of cars on the direct rail. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of Fig. 1 dissected through between the point of the movable tongue and the mechanism that operates it, showing part of the mechanism, the end of three rails, the box-shaped coverings to protect the mechanism, and a side view of one of the steel plates (2 e a. Fig. 3 is a top view and a side view of a section of the rail on the side track or indirect track, show ing the mechanism by which the flange of the car-wheel actuates the release and closing of the movable tongue after the train has passed into the siding or indirect track; and Fig. 4 is a vertical side view of Fig. 3 in connectlon with car-wheel a, showing lever-arm r pressed down by flange t of the car-wheel.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Movable tongue I is hinged at its large end and moves freely at its point between rail a and guard-rail Z and has riveted to it near its point flat spring m and hinge-plate n, and upon hinge-plate n is hinged the compound hook-lever f g, which is made to engage guard-rail Z on the under side at hook f, when the movable tongue b is forced against guardrail Z-and hook f is made to hold up against guard-rail Z by the pressure of flat spring m against arm g. When movable tongue bis forced against guard-rail Z and flat spring m forces hook on f up against guard-rail Z, then arm g is forced to draw connecting-rod h, thus drawing the long arm i of compound lever i, and this forces the short arm i of compound lever i, which draws the connecting-rod j, connecting the short arms of compound levers Z and p 1, thus raising the long arm of compound lever 10 r at A. The action of the flange of a car-wheel or any other object pressing on A only tends to release movable tongue Z) from guard-rail Zand close the main switch, and so does no harm and does not interfere with the usefulness of the switch. In any event when the movable tongue Z) is released it is forced over against rail (1 by means of spring d and will remain there until forced against guard-rail Z by the flange of some train coming out of the siding or indirect track or when forced open by some person by means of a lever or other suitable instrument.

It is obvious that movable tongue I) will remain pressed tightly against rail 0, by means of the strong spring d actuating sliding bolt or plunger 0 until it is forced against guard rail Z by direct pressure from the flange of a car-wheel or other instrument, and then when it is forced against guard-rail Z it will remain thus by being held there by means of hook on arm f engaging the under side of Z and will not be released till the hook is forced down from Z. Then when a train enters the siding while it is open and passes on until it runs over compound lever 10 r the flange of the car-wheel presses down arm 1" at A, thus drawing connecting-rod j, which is connected with the short arm i of compound lever '6, thus causing the long arm i of com pound lever 'Z to draw connecting-rod h, which is connected to the short arm 9 of the compound hook-lever f g at 9, thus drawing hook on f down and releasing it from guardrail Z, thus allowing coil-spring (Z to force sliding bolt 0 against movable tongue I), thus shoving point of movable tongue 1) against rail a, thus closing the switch to the siding or indirect rail.

The mechanism above described is protected in part by easing y, casing 00, and casing 2, which casings prevent vehicles, &c., from coming into contact with the working parts and keep out snow, debris, &c. The long connecting-rod j, which will extend to compound lever p r on the siding or indirect track, may be as long as the longest train entering said siding or indirect track and is to be covered by casing k to prevent interfer ence with its free working under ground or above ground, as may be determined. The railway-track at places where this mechanism is applied rests on specially-provided metal bars set on edge e e e and placed close enough together to prevent sagging of the rails of the track and yet leaving space enough between to allow snow, ice, and debris to pass down below the rails and avoid clogging of the mechanism. The metal bars 6 e e e are shown "in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 placed on edge at proper intervals, leaving the spaces W W W for snow, ice, and debris to settle down below the track away from the machinery, where it may be re moved from the side or the track.

The compound lever 10 r oscillates on journal g, which passes through rail 0 and is sustained in its normal position by means of suitable bearings. It is necessary for the mechanism shown in Fig.3 and in Fig. 4 to be located far enough from the mechanism shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 to allow the whole train to get ofl the main track before the farthest wheel comes into contact with lever-arm r.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a railroad-switch the combination of movable tongue I), provided with spring m, and with hinge-plate n, carrying bell-crank lever f, 9, provided with hook at f, with sliding bolt 0, provided with and actuated by spiral spring (1, substantially as described and for the purposes specified.

2. In a railroad-switch, movable tongue I), carrying bell-crank lever f, g, provided with spring m, and connecting-rod h, in combination with bell-crank levers i, and p r, and connecting-rod j, substantially as described and for the purposes specified.

ROY E. MURPHY.

Witnesses:

HERBERT K. WING, ELVA GREEN. 

